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Ben Schreiner: US Approach to Iran’s Nuclear Program Hypocritical

TBen ShreinerEHRAN (FNA)- American journalist and author Ben Schreiner believes that the United States’ approach toward Iran’s nuclear program is hypocritical and duplicitous as Washington is the world’s largest possessor of nuclear weapons and does not have the moral ground to tell Iran to abandon its nuclear program.

“There’s no doubt the US posture regarding the Iranian “nuclear threat” is rife with hypocrisies. The US, after all, remains the only state to actually deploy nuclear weapons in war, with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The US has also conducted well over 1,000 nuclear tests, the latest coming as recently as December. And if all that weren’t enough, the U.S is currently in the midst of upgrading its vast nuclear arsenal – the largest in the world,” said Ben Schreiner in an interview with Fars News Agency.
Ben Schreiner is a freelance journalist and writer whose writings mostly cover the US foreign policy and international politics. His articles and writings have appeared on al-Akhbar English, Asia Times Online, CounterPunch, Dissident Voice, Global Research, Z Magazine.
With only a few days to the next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the group of six world powers in Kazakhstan, Fars News Agency conducted an interview with Ben Schreiner to explore the different aspects of Iran’s nuclear program and the sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and its European allies.
What follows is the text of the interview.
Q: The US hostility toward Iran is seemingly because of Tehran’s pursuit of a nuclear program which Washington and its allies claim might one day in future find military dimensions. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the intelligence agencies of the United States and European countries have so far failed to present confirmable evidence to substantiate their claims that Iran is after nuclear weapons. What are these hostilities, sanctions and war threats really for? Don’t the American statesmen really know that Iran does not pursue a nuclear weapons program?
A: Well, as you mentioned, Western intelligence agencies are all in agreement that 1) Iran has no nuclear weapons program and 2) Iran is not actively pursuing such a program. So, I think it’s reasonable to assume American policy makers are aware of what their own intelligence has to say. In fact, we’ve often heard as much publicly from American officials. Just earlier this month, for instance, outgoing US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta stated on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Iran has “not made the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.” And, of course, one can go back and find similar remarks from other US officials as well. So given this, we really need to go beyond the nuclear issue to properly understand US hostilities toward Iran.
In fact, the US targeting of Iran is really a perfect example of what the well-known American dissident and author Noam Chomsky has deemed the “Mafia principle” of US foreign policy. That is to say, nothing is held to be more dangerous to American planners than successful defiance. For if a nation is allowed to successfully defy the US, it is feared that others might follow suit. Thus, defiance is never to be tolerated. And so when the Islamic revolution occurred in 1979, overthrowing a US client regime, the Mafia principle went into effect. And of course the US has had sanctions on Iran ever since.
That said, I think imperialist motives are also influencing the Western hostilities towards Iran. For sitting atop the world’s third largest oil reserves and the world’s second largest natural gas reverses makes Iran a particularly appealing target. Moreover, as the West remains mired in economic crisis, it has once again resorted to external aggression in an attempt to regenerate global capitalism via the “creative destruction” of war. And to this end, we have already seen the NATO war in Libya, the French-led war in Mali, and the ongoing Western targeting of Syria. But even after these military adventures the crisis remains, and thus the threats against Iran continue to ratchet up.
Q: Iran has always complained that the United States exercises double standards on the nuclear disarmament issue. Firstly, the United States is the largest possessor of nuclear weapons in the world, and secondly, it prevents IAEA from investigating Israel’s underground nuclear facilities and its stockpile of atomic warheads. Do you agree with Iran that America’s behavior is hypocritical and duplicitous?
A: There’s no doubt the US posture regarding the Iranian “nuclear threat” is rife with hypocrisies. The US, after all, remains the only state to actually deploy nuclear weapons in war, with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The US has also conducted well over 1,000 nuclear tests, the latest coming as recently as December. And if all that weren’t enough, the U.S is currently in the midst of upgrading its vast nuclear arsenal – the largest in the world, as you note. So, I think any objective observer would be able to see that a far greater nuclear threat comes from Washington than from Tehran.
Of course, another matter in terms of hypocrisy is that fact that Israel – the country supposedly facing an “existential threat” from Iran – is already a nuclear power, with as many as 200 warheads. But not only that, in addition to refusing international inspection of its nuclear facilities, Israel refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has repeatedly blocked efforts to form a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. If there is a rogue nuclear state in the Middle East, then, it is Israel.
Q: In 2010, Iran agreed to a Turkish-Brazilian plan for shipping 1,200 kilograms of its Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) stockpile to the Turkish soil in return for fuel for a medical research reactor. It was a confidence-building measure but only in a matter of few weeks, the United States and its Western allies imposed a new round of sanctions against Iran at the Security Council and impeded the chances of reconciliation. So it sounds like that the West does not seek a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the controversy over Iran’s nuclear program. What’s your viewpoint on that?
A: I’m not sure I would say that the US is necessarily opposed to a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. I think it is really more that the US wants any resolution to occur on its own terms. That said, it’s clear that the terms the US has laid out are unacceptable to Tehran and are leading down a path toward confrontation.
But to address the 2010 enrichment deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil, I think it was the fact that such a deal excluded the US and the West that it was so quickly mocked and scorned by Western officials. The US in particular was afraid that any deal struck outside it purview would come to threaten its regional hegemony, and thus it had to be killed, as it was.
Q: Some political commentators believe that Iran’s nuclear program is only a pretext for putting pressure on Iran and damaging it as an integral part of the resistance front against Israeli Zionism and American imperialism and expansionism. Would you please share with us your perspective on that?
A: I agree that the nuclear issue is largely a pretext used to target Iran. And like I mentioned previously, Iran has long been a target of the US.
I think it’s also important, though, to understand the true nature of the “Iranian threat” as seen by the US political elite. For the real fear, and it is a genuine one, is that a nuclear-capable Iran would threaten American hegemony in the region. A nuclear-capable Iran, for instance, would become immune from Western military intervention. A nuclear-capable Iran would also help bolster the resistance front and threaten Israel’s “freedom” to launch incursions into Gaza and southern Lebanon. A challenge to Israeli and US military superiority in the Middle East, in other words, is at the heart of what the West really fears, not a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv.
And we can indeed see the fear of a rising Iran when we look at Western policy towards the Syrian crisis. As many in the West have argued, the crisis in Syria is an opportunity to weaken the resistance axis by expelling Iran from the Arab world. And it is hoped that by severing Tehran’s ties with Damascus, Iran will perhaps become so isolated and weakened it will be forced to abandon its nuclear program. I doubt very much whether such a strategy will work, but containing Iranian influence in the region is clearly driving Western policy in the Middle East.
Q: The United States has always asked Iran to make concessions on its nuclear program while knowing that its demands are not legally or politically justifiable. For example, it has demanded that Iran should halt all its uranium enrichment activities, whereas all the signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are allowed to enrich uranium to low degrees for research purposes. Why does the United States make such requests while showing no flexibility and willingness to lift the sanctions?
A: I think this comes back to the fact that, in large measure, the targeting of Iran has little to do with the nuclear issue. The nuclear issue, though, is certainly quite useful in providing cover for imperial pursuits. The American public, for instance, more readily supports sanctions against Iran when it is presented as all part of an effort to curb nuclear proliferation. But if the nuclear issue with Iran were to be resolved, I think the support in the US for sanctions and threats against Iran would dry up. So, in this sense, the nuclear issue is vital for the US to continue its targeting of Iran.
Q: The American officials have tacitly admitted that they have imposed the hard-hitting sanctions on Iran to pit the people against the government and create social unrest in the country. Have they succeeded in their goal? Could they make the Iranians pessimistic about their government?
A: If we look at polling from Iran, we see that a majority of Iranians blame sanctions on the West and not their own government. So, if the goal is truly to turn Iranians against their government, I think it’s clear the sanctions have been an unmitigated failure. And I wouldn’t anticipate this changing.
But despite the claims from Western leaders regarding the purpose of sanctions, sanctions are really more about punishing the people of Iran more than anything else. It comes back to the Mafia principle I discussed earlier: successful defiance must be punished. We can see this same principle at work in American policy towards Cuba. After all, the US has placed Cuba under economic embargo for over 50 years. And even though the “threat” of communism receded with the end of the Cold War, the embargo remains in effect to this day. Cubans, we see, must be punished for their nation’s defiance; dissent is not to be tolerated.
What’s remarkable about such a despicable policy of collective punishment is the fact that American officials don’t really shy away from their crimes. As US Vice-President Joe Biden recently commented on Iranian sanctions, “Iran’s leaders need not sentence their people to economic deprivation.” The notion that the sanctions are the fault of the Iranian leadership aside, the tacit acknowledgement Biden makes here is that the direct aim of the sanctions is to impose economic deprivation on ordinary Iranians. This is clearly criminal.
Likewise, we can note the remarks once made by US Senator Mark Kirk. Kirk, a co-sponsor of nearly every Iran sanctions bill in the US Senate, averred back in 2011 that, “It’s okay to take the food out of the mouths of” innocent Iranians. So, once again we see the motive of sanctions being collective punishment more than anything else.
Q: What do you think about the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States)? Are the six world powers going to take a more realistic and logical approach towards the talks and refrain from bullying Iran and the policy of carrot and stick?
A: I highly doubt we’ll see much of a change from the West in the coming talks in Almaty. We of course saw the offer of direct dialogue made by Vice-President Biden in Munich, but that was followed by yet further sanctions, what even the New York Times described as constituting “economic war.” And the US press is now reporting that US lawmakers are already working on the next round of sanctions. So, it appears the US is content with a policy of offering little more than sticks.
Interview by Kourosh Ziabari

source: Fars News Agency, 23 Feb, 2013


Saul Landau: Iran’s Problem is Its Independence and Disobedience

soul landau-american filmmaker TEHRAN (FNA)- Prominent American journalist, filmmaker and former university professor believes that Iran is targeted by the United States and its allies not because of its nuclear program but because of its independence and disobedience toward the big world powers.

“Washington’s approach to the world is: “don’t bother us with facts.” Israel, for example, possesses some 200 nuclear weapons, which Washington ignores as it ignored India and Pakistan as they made nukes. Iran’s problem is its disobedience; it does not do what Washington dictates and therefore the word goes out to the media that it is a danger to US security,” said Saul Landau in an exclusive interview with Fars News Agency.
Saul Landau has written 14 books and his articles and commentaries widely appear on different publications across the world. He is a Professor Emeritus at California State University and a senior fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) in Washington D.C. Saul Landau’s films are distributed by Round World Productions. His latest film is “Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand Up” which narrates the history of almost half a century of hostility between the United States and Cuba.
Ahead of the sensitive nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States), Fars News Agency conducted an interview with Saul Landau to discuss the West’s skepticism on Iran’s nuclear program, the sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and its allies and the prospect of talk between Iran and the world powers. What follows is the text of the interview.
Q: The United States and the other world powers have usually sat at the negotiation table with Iran while resorting to force and using the instruments of coercion and intimidation. They impose sanctions and issue war threats and then demand Iran to make nuclear concessions during the talks. Is this kind of negotiation going to bear fruit?
A: Sanctions worked to weaken the apartheid government of South Africa because the majority in that country did not support the government, Sanctions don’t work with countries like Iran and Cuba where the population supports the government. Sanctions make people dig in their heels and resist. Similarly, threats do not frighten legitimate governments. Washington policy-makers live in a fog of unreality about the nature of the Iranian government, which is stable and has support, as they have lived in a similar fog over Cuba.
Q: The Western mainstream media are pretending that negotiations with Iran will not be helpful and the solution to controversy over Iran’s nuclear program is a military confrontation. They are laying the groundwork for a possible attack against Iran like what they did to Iraq in 2003. What do you think about their propaganda campaign?
A: The same neo-conservatives and unbridled hawks who assured the world that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction have risen again to demand war with Iran. Their information has no basis in reality and their arguments are foolish and dangerous. Negotiations and diplomacy can resolve disputes far better than sanctions and threats.
Q: The United States and its partners have so far failed to present credible evidence confirming their claims that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, and the 2007 NIE report shows that Iran does not have the intention to produce nuclear bombs. So, all the pressures and sanctions against Iran are predicated on allegations and accusations. Why do they put such an enormous amount of pressure on Iran while knowing that their claim is not true?
A: Washington’s approach to the world is: “don’t bother us with facts.” Israel, for example, possesses some 200 nuclear weapons, which Washington ignores as it ignored India and Pakistan as they made nukes. Iran’s problem is its disobedience; it does not do what Washington dictates and therefore the word goes out to the media that it is a danger to US security. Instead of asking: “What did Iran do to us?” Or have they ever tried to overthrow a US government as the US did to Iran in 1953, the media acts as White House stenographers. Another problem Iran faces in Washington is the Israeli lobby, more aggressive than the National Rifle Association and arguably more powerful. This lobby presents Iran as a threat to Israel and then demands the US defend Israel.
Q: The IAEA and Group 5+1 have asked Iran several times to be allowed to inspect the Parchin site near Tehran. They had inspected Parchin in 2003 and 2005 and found no evidence of suspicious nuclear activities there. Parchin is a military site and no country allows an inspection of its military sites without a reasonable justification. What’s your viewpoint?
A: The demand reflects world power’s curiosity. Imagine the IAEA [was] run by Brazil, Argentina and Vietnam. It would not make such a demand. The US doesn’t need facts or reason to insist that other nations follow [its] orders. It simply flexes its muscles. It wants to humiliate and weaken Iran, compromise its sovereignty, and reduce its world and regional importance.
Q: Israel has never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, never allowed any inspection to its nuclear sites and never complied with its international obligations under the UNSC resolutions. However, it enjoys impunity because it’s a US ally. Don’t you consider this hypocritical?
A: US-Israeli relations give hypocrisy a bad reputation. Not only does a group of rabid neo-con Jews run this hideous lobby, but fundamentalist Christians also adhere to the nonsense that Israel merits its special place in US relations because of its religious role in bringing forth the Kingdom of the Apocalypse. Israel receives US impunity for all its misdeeds.
Q: What’s your viewpoint regarding the sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and the European Union? Are these sanctions going to help the course of Iran-G5+1 negotiations? Don’t the sanctions make the Iranian people more pessimistic and suspicious about the West?
A: The sanctions will not work. They never do when people have basic faith in their government. They temporarily mollify the war-mongers, however.
Q: How should Iran and G5+1 approach the upcoming nuclear talks in Kazakhstan? What confidence-building steps should the West take in order to show its sincerity to Iran? What should Iran do in order to ease the tensions and demonstrate to the West that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes?
A: Iran’s spiritual leader has publicly declared that nuclear weapons are evil. Iran might ask the US President if he agrees with that evaluation. Then, Iran can offer to have an independent review of its nuclear program by nations like Brazil and Turkey to demonstrate the veracity of Tehran’s position. The Iranian government could also invite a group of independent nuclear experts and scientists for a conference to examine its program.
Interview by Kourosh Ziabari

source: Fars News Agency, 26 February 2013


Spectacular Achievements of the Islamic Revolution

As the Iprogress in iranslamic revolution of Iran changed political equations in the region and the world, it has also obtained great achievements during the past 34 years.

The Islamic Republic of Iran presented a new model of progress and development with trust in God and reliance on the ability of its youth. Prior to the victory of the Islamic revolution, countries were either placed in the western bloc led by the US or the eastern bloc under the Soviet. Therefore, they viewed security and development in accordance with the will of the two blocs.

The Islamic Republic of Iran opened a new path for the oppressed nations and the liberating movements. The services and activities of the Islamic Republic system inside the country are very broad. They can be classified in economy, politics, culture, knowledge and technology. The most important achievement of the Islamic Republic in political field is toppling the 2500 year old monarchic regime and establishment of a religious popular government on the basis of Islamic teachings. Prior to the victory of the Islamic revolution the western liberal democracy was considered as the only choice of a government based on people’s votes, despite the fact that it is the people’s rights that are mostly trampled in the liberal democracy of the west. The western regimes have actually separated religion from politics to legitimate colonialism and exploitation of nations. This comes at a time when the main and basic objective of divine religions has been human growth and perfection on the basis of monotheism and worship of God and invitation to campaign against disbelief and polytheism. In order to loot the reserves and resources of the deprived masses, the imperialists of the world or the World Arrogant, as they were called by Imam Khomeini, raised the theory of separation of religion from politics to control the intellectual, cultural, religious and national assets of the Islamic societies and plunder their resources. The victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran nullified the theory of separation of religion from politics and turned the Islamic movement into a coherent global phenomenon.

Due to his enlightening guidelines and trust in people, Imam Khomeini (God’s mercy upon his soul) let the people choose their own fate through various elections. The nationwide participation of the Iranian people for determining the type of government in a referendum within less than 2 months after the victory of the Islamic revolution, holding the constitutional assembly election, presidential election, the Islamic Consultative Assembly election, the referendum for the first Islamic Republic Constitution in the first year of victory of the Islamic revolution were among the great political achievements of the Islamic revolution. The participation of Iranian people in every domain of administering the country for the past 34 years has been in a way that an election is held almost each year. Next June, the Iranians will once again rush to the ballot boxes to elect the new president.

As for the cultural and social issues, the Islamic revolution has had great achievements. Truly speaking, the Islamic revolution of Iran is a cultural revolution and achievements in other domains have actually stemmed from the deep changes in socio-cultural domain. The neo-colonialism has based its ways for looting the resources and riches of the poor countries on the cultural dominance. Making Muslims alien from the genuine Islamic culture is one of the most prominent plots of the colonialists to perpetuate their rule over their colonies.

The sage of the age and the man of the millennium Imam Khomeini said to Muslims, “The west has been so much manifested in the eyes of a stratum of this nation that we think there is nothing except the west. This intellectual dependence on the west is the source of most of the miseries of the nations including ours.”

After the Islamic revolution, revival of Islamic culture and values was taken into consideration and in addition to educational centers, mass media including radio and TV, newspapers, magazines and even cinema, theatre and other artistic and cultural fields were used to grow the Islamic culture.

The campaign against illiteracy and the speedy growth of academic centers raised the level of knowledge and public awareness to the extent that the Islamic Republic of Iran ranks among the successful countries in countering illiteracy and upgrading the level of public knowledge. Today the number of university students is about 4 million in Iran and every year over one million people take the entrance exam of universities. As the capacity of the universities becomes near to the number of the enthusiasts for entering academic centers, the officials have thought of omitting the entrance exam.

The economic achievements of the Islamic revolution have also been very much tangible. Prior to the victory of the Islamic revolution, Iran was dependent on oil exports. This dependence had paralyzed Iran’s economic structure in a way that the main activity of the industries was montage and dependent on western industries and experts.

Agriculture had also a miserable condition with a very low output. For this reason, a widespread migration from villages to cities was underway. Large cities like Tehran were full of slums populated by poor villagers.

Victory of the Islamic revolution was a development in Iran’s industry and agriculture. Now the Iranian experts are bale to manage all operations of the oil industry such as exploration, drilling, excavation, export, and refinery; whereas this industry was fully dependent on the west before the revolution. Meanwhile explorations in the oil industry have rapidly and remarkably grown after the victory of the revolution. Over the past 3 decades, more than 50 billion oil barrels have been added to Iran’s oil reserves thanks to the discovery of new oil and gas fields. The Islamic Republic of Iran is among the 5 countries with the greatest oil reserves in the world.

Presently, over 90 percent of Iranian people use piped gas; while before the victory of the Islamic revolution only a small part of some large cities had access to piped gas.

 Petrochemical industry, as one of the main branches of the oil industry, is very significant in the present world. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, many great investments have been made in this field. By development in the petrochemical industry, Iran is seeking to stop crude oil sale and exploitation of oil reserves. Export of Iran’s petrochemical products stands at over 20 billion dollars per annum.

Islamic Republic of Iran has been successful in agriculture, too. Harvesting over 14 million tons of wheat has made Iran self-sufficient in the production of this strategic crop and there is no more need to import it. Iran ranks among the 10 countries in producing some agricultural and garden products.

Scientific advancements and technological breakthroughs after the victory of the Islamic revolution have been more dazzling. Enrichment of uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes especially production of energy and radio medicines are the domains in which the Islamic Republic has broken the monopoly of the big powers and bullying countries. One of the reasons behind the western unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran is to halt Iran’s scientific progresses. These achievements are not restricted to nuclear energy. As for the researches on NANO technology and other modern technologies, the Islamic Republic of Iran has gained renown in the world. Stem cells, cloning and access to certain medicines for countering incurable diseases are the fields which have drawn the attention of many relevant people in the world to the results of researches of Iranian scientists. Launching satellite into the space and in the successful dispatch of chimpanzee capsule into the space shows that the Iranian young scientists have taken very big strides in scientific domains with reliance on their capabilities. These achievements have been gained at a time when the Islamic Republic of Iran has been mercilessly exposed to different types of western sanctions for the past 3 decades. But these pressures and sanctions make the Iranian nation more determined to continue the path shown by the sage of the age and the man of the millennium, the late leader of the Islamic revolution, Imam Khomeini whose very name sends shudders to the spines of the Arrogant Powers and the enemies of humanity especially the Great Satan (the US of A) and the fabricated Zionist regime of Israel.

source: irib world service, 07 February, 2013


Islamic Revolution, Cradle of Islamic Awakening

islamic awakeningThe Islamic Revolution of Iran attained victory through unity of people from all walks of life with the goal of removing hegemony of the Global Arrogance and access to independence under the leadership of Imam Khomeini.

This revolution has inspired all those who have waken up in the Islamic countries.

34 years after the triumph of the Islamic revolution, it is moving forward more honorably and proudly. Much to the chagrin of the bullying powers, Iran has advanced to the extent that it is going to be self-sufficient in many fields. The enemies of the Iranian nation, who could not prevent the victory of the Islamic revolution, used any possible means to prevent the revolution and the fledgling Islamic system from turning into a role model for the new uprisings.

After the victory of the Islamic revolution, the enemies have incessantly tried to pressure Iranians by sanctions but all their efforts have been of no avail and this nation has continued its bright path towards lofty goals introduced by the late Imam.

A short review of the 34 years of the life of the Islamic revolution and presence of the Iranian nation in different arenas indicates that the negation of any foreign dominance has always been alive in the minds of the Iranians. The enthusiastic nationwide presence of the people in the anniversary of the revolution on 22nd of Bahman corresponding and their massive turnout in all elections despite the adverse propaganda of the western mainstream media is just part of the anti-arrogance and independence-seeking spirit of the Iranian nation.

Today the nations, which had been forced to tolerate the oppression of the west-affiliated rulers, have woken up and seek their lost dignity and honour.

Attaining dignity, honor, independence and Islamic values has formed the core of the Islamic awakening in the region. According to the leader the Islamic awakening started from the Islamic revolution of Iran and now is spreading in the Islamic world. For more than two years the nations of the Middle East and North Africa have been struggling for independence and freedom.

Tunisia was the first country to get the message of the Iran’s Islamic revolution. The Tunisians rose up against the unpopular ruler Zein-ul- Abedin Ben Ali and finally forced the dictator to flee Tunisia. Then the Islamic awakening reached Egypt, which had been fully affiliated to the US and the Zionist regime for more than 3 decades. January 25, 2011 is indelibly imprinted in the history of Egypt. On this day the Egyptians triumphed and Egypt’s dependent dictator was toppled.

As the Islamic awakening grew more and more, the anti-US and anti-Zionist move further intensified among Muslim countries which had been the stooges of these two sinister powers. The Egyptian nation calls for cutting of relations with the enemy of Muslims, the Zionist regime; while Egypt was fully under the Zionist control during the reign of Hosni Mubarak.

The present Egyptian president is an Islamist and has come to power through legal and free election. After years of unpopular government, the Egyptian nation is experiencing a voice in the administration its country. For having an independent and democratic country on the basis of Islamic teachings, the Egyptian people have play role in all arenas and no more tolerate the rule of the domineering powers.

Thanks to the Islamic awakening, any anti-Islamic move is immediately condemned by Muslim nations.

 Libya, Yemen and Bahrain were the next countries to experience wave of the Islamic awakening. Like in Tunisia and Egypt, the era of dictatorship ended in Libya and Yemen.

Islamic awakening in Bahrain becomes intensifies every day. The Bahraini people pour to streets every day and seriously call for the overthrow of the dictatorial Al-Khalifa regime.

Iran’s Islamic revolution has stood firm against all plots of the enemies for the past 34 years and has turned into a flourishing tree yielding fruit and spreading its fragrance to all Islamic countries.

source: irib world service, 09 February, 2013


Argo: From Hollywoodism to Iranophobia

Argo filmIn recent years, Iranophobia has come to encompass a wider scope of media including cinema which is incontestably capable of exercising a more powerful effect on manipulating the audience.

Along the recent Iranophobic attempts comes Argo (2012), a ‘nail-biting thriller’ which according to David Haglund, takes a few liberties with the history. A few liberties, indeed! The false façade of the movie and the glorification of CIA agent Antonio Mendez (the hero, played by Ben Affleck) in particular and the intelligence apparat in general in smuggling the escapees out of Tehran gives a flimsily larger-than-life flair to the movie on the one hand and a too-good-to-be-true feeling to the multitude of audience whose minds have already been hijacked by Western media about Iran.
In its idiotically crude manner, the movie attempts to describe Iranians as overemotional, irrational, insane, and diabolical while at the same, the CIA agents are represented as heroically patriotic. Argo is replete with historical inaccuracies and distortions. One might say that the titling of the film mentions it is loosely based on Antonio Mendez’s account of the incidents. However, the audience barely finds any slim chance to realize this and all he believes is all he sees. Aye, there’s the rub for in doing so, the moviemaker craftily sees an audience too engrossed in the movie to pay any attention to the titling.
Even if he does, the audience’s mind has already imbibed all the lies secretly and savagely dictated by the movie. This is done with incredible ingenuity. For instance, in one shot, morosely veiled Iranian women are shown to be in military uniforms, a falsity also depicted in an earlier anti-Iran movie titled “Not Without My Daughter (1991)”. After the elapse of thirty-odd years, you may find Iranian women in uniforms but only in female garrisons let alone on the streets. So, the depiction of Iranian women in military uniforms is but a figment of the writer’s imagination.
It appears that Argo owes enormously to Brian Gilbert’s Not Without My Daughter (1991) though the former is technically a step forward. Not Without My Daughter (1991) details the story of an American woman who is married to an Iranian doctor. They live happily in America but once they travel to Iran, the man (Alfred Molina) changes from a well-bred and highly educated man to a rustic boar who decides to force his wife Betty (Sally Field) to stay in Iran. No one knows the reason for such a drastic change in the man, and interestingly, no hiatus apparently takes place in the storyline.
Apart from the stereotyped and caricatured view of Iranians the filmmaker delivers, he consciously pokes fun at the very customs and traditions within the Iranian community. In one scene, when Betty arrives in Iran (the movie has been ironically filmed in Israel), they slaughter a sheep as a votive offering at the sight of which Betty falls into a swoon. This incident which is part of the Iranian tradition becomes a matter of scorn for the filmmaker.
Film critic Roger Ebert describes the film as vitriolic and spiteful and says, “If a movie of such a vitriolic and spiteful nature were to be made in America about any other ethnic group, it would be denounced as racist and prejudiced.”
Likewise, Argo is another dastardly attempt at fanning Iranophobia by continuing Brian Gilbert’s Not Without My Daughter (1991).

Though Argo achieves some degree of success in stereotyping and demonizing Iranians, the movie is at its best a propaganda flick barely worthy of the kudos it receives, not because it is nothing more than one big yawn but because it is poorly structured and frivolously written.

Strange as it might be, the film ingeniously seeks to sound balanced by inserting a voice-over at the beginning of the film describing how the popular government of Mossadeq was overthrown through a coup engineered by the CIA and how Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (who is erroneously referred to as Reza Pahlavi) tyrannized over people. However, the mere mention of a CIA-engineered coup is not enough to make the film sound balanced.
In fact, Argo is a far cry from a balanced narration. Everything is narrated one-sidedly. Everything is depicted in black and white. The escapees are good and have to be saved with the help of the CIA agent who ridiculously functions to bring about catharsis in the audience and the Iranians are depicted as demonic and hysteric. Thus, sympathy is easily wrung from the audience in favor of the CIA agent and the entire Iranian population is tragically plunged in a negative light.

In fact, authoring a coup in Iran is not CIA’s magnum opus. The intelligence apparatus has been notoriously instrumental in fomenting a war against Iran at the hands of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and bringing about over one million casualties.

According to Said K. Aburish, author of Saddam Hussein: the Politics of Revenge, Saddam made a visit to Amman in 1979 before Iran-Iraq War. There, he met King Hussein and three CIA agents. Aburish says there is considerable evidence that he discussed his plans to invade Iran with the CIA agents. As a political product of Washington’s mind, Saddam was on intimate terms with the US. Aburish says that it was “a relationship of cooperation, but never trust. Neither side ever trusted the other. And they helped him stay in power by providing him with electronic systems to guard against a coup d’état. They helped him stay in power by providing him with armament that he needed badly. They helped him stay in power by refusing to raise the issue of human rights. And they helped him to stay in power by supporting him during the war with Iran. So they really helped him, practically politically, practically financially, any way you can look at it.”
It is very probable that Ben Affleck and the screenwriter Chris Terrio are sorely ignorant of these facts or else they would have incorporated some of these facts in Argo to sound balanced.
Or would they?
Overal, Argo is an arrant instance of Hollywoodism. In point of fact, it is yet another attempt to foment Iranophobia not only in the USA but across the world as well.
This article was initially posted at Press TV on November 7, 2012.

source: press tv. 25 February, 2013


Pharmaceutical terrorism: Zionist-devised US sanctions bar medicines from Iran

Us sanction onMedicine“The policies Iran is pursuing are unacceptable, and until Iran’s leadership agrees to abandon this dangerous course, we will continue to use tough and innovative means to impose severe economic and financial consequences on Iran’s leadership.” – U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner.

The United States has declared war on Iran – economic war by means of sanctions which threaten the lives of Iranians who are forced to depend on Western-manufactured pharmaceuticals to fight cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The goal of the ever-escalating U.S. sanctions against Iran may very well be armed conflict, with sanctions merely a method, to quote former U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson, of “how we [the U.S.] should maneuver them into the position of firing the first shot.”
Initiated by the Zionist lobby AIPAC in 1995, the U.S. sanctions, which arguably constitute an act of war, fall under the auspices of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI), originally established by the Bush administration to combat terrorist financing. Sanctions are now managed by David S. Cohen, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence; Daniel L. Glaser, assistant secretary for terrorist financing; and, Adam J. Szubin, director of the office of foreign-asset control, all bureaucrats with careers spanning the administrations of several U.S. presidents. This troika of tyranny, referred to as “America’s sanction cops,” has been working for almost ten years with the U.S. Congress, under constant pressure from the Zionist regime, to design ever tougher sanctions against Iran.
According to Geithner, “The harsh consequences of funding terrorism have succeeded in deterring donors across the globe.” Unfortunately, the sanctions have also succeeded in deterring Western pharmaceutical companies from undertaking business transactions for medicines greatly needed in Iran, despite the Washington regime’s official, but not legally binding, verbiage to the contrary:
“The U.S. Government’s commitment to facilitating humanitarian engagement with the Iranian people is manifest in its longstanding policy to authorize exports or re-exports of humanitarian goods, such as agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices, to Iran,” states the Office of Foreign Asset Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Indeed from a legal standpoint, the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 Section 1244 (e), seems very clear in its humanitarian exception for medicine:

“The President may not impose sanctions under this section with respect to any person for conducting or facilitating a transaction for the sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine, or medical devices to Iran or for the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Iran.”

However in reality, the complexity of the U.S. sanction regimen and the severity of the penalties, which range up to fines of USD $1 million and imprisonment up to 20 years, have discouraged the profit-hungry U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers from risking their bottom right corners to do what is morally right. In one instance, a representative from an Iranian pharmaceutical firm flew to Paris with documentation confirming the legality of a business transaction only to be told by the French banker, “Even if you bring a letter from the French president himself saying it is OK to do so, we will not risk this.”

Iran, whose pharmaceutical sector amounts to some USD$3 billion per year, imports roughly 30% of its medication, and is relying increasingly on China and India as U.S. sanctions close the door to business with American and European drug firms, whose exports to Iran fell 30% in 2012. In some cases, finding substitute drugs to fight certain diseases, such as hemophilia, cancer or multiple sclerosis, is impossible because heavily guarded patents make them unavailable except from Western sources. The net result for patients in Iran is that it may be virtually impossible for them to obtain critical live-saving medications, which means effectively that the U.S. sanctions have pronounced a death sentence upon them.
Manouchehr Esmaili-Liousi, a young 15-year-old boy from the city of Dezful, in the southwestern province of Khuzestan who suffered from hemophilia, was the first victim to die due to a lack of medicine caused by the sadistic U.S. sanctions against Iran. Condemning the sanctions, Ahmad Ghavidel, the director of Iran’s Hemophilia Society, said that “sanctions hitting medicine in Iran are causing a silent death and are a ploy to hurt the health of Iranian people.” Naser Naghdi, the director general of Darou Pakhsh, Iran’s largest pharmaceutical firm, said bluntly, “There are patients for whom a medicine is the difference between life and death. … If you have cancer and you can’t find your chemotherapy drug, your death will come soon. It’s as simple as that.” U.S. Representative Brad Sherman (D, CA) admits that the misery and death inflicted on Iranians by the sanctions is intended. “Critics argued that these measures will hurt the Iranian people,” he said, adding malevolently, “Quite frankly, we need to do just that.”
Cynics arguing in favor of continuing the inhumane sanctions are quick to point to the previously mentioned “humanitarian” loopholes and some even go so far as to blame Iran, the victim, for mismanaging its pharmaceutical supply chains. Even U.S. President Barack Obama has callously remarked that Iranians should blame their leaders for the medical supply shortages. However, former Woodrow Wilson Scholar, Siamak Namazi, puts the blame where it belongs squarely on the U.S., explaining, “But, there is no mistaking that the scarcity of medicine and medical equipment in Iran started with the tightening up of sanctions. … Shortages began when the continuous tightening of sanctions eventually placed overwhelming obstacles in the way of humanitarian trade.”
Let us examine the behavior of the United States under its own definition of international terrorism. According to the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, section 14, found under Title 50 of the United States Code, Chapter 35, Section 1701:

“The term ‘act of international terrorism’ means an act: (A) which is violent or dangerous to human life and that is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any State; and (B) which appears to be intended – (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping.”

Concerning (A) above, certainly, the U.S. sanctions are dangerous to human life and withholding needed medication from a patient would be a violation of the laws if committed within the United States, so (A) applies. As for (B), based on Representative Sherman’s remarks, the sanctions are intended to do harm thereby intimidating the civilian population, so (B) (i) applies. Equally certain is that the sanctions are intended to intimidate and coerce the government of Iran into caving in to U.S. demands regarding its peaceful nuclear energy program, as is clear from U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner’s quote at the beginning of this article, so (B) (ii) also applies.
The legal conclusion appears inescapable. Based upon the above definition taken from its own laws, by imposing its Zionist-devised sanctions against Iran, the United States is committing an act of international pharmaceutical terrorism. But Manoucher’s parents already know this, as do the 8,000 Iranians with similar blood diseases, as well as the millions of Iranians suffering from kidney diseases, cancers, multiple sclerosis and other life-threatening diseases.

source: press tv, 19 February, 2013


Islamic Revolutionary Awakening; Civil-Religious-Revolutionary Waves

Dr. Ali Reza Sadra

 . Tehran University Instructor, Faculty of Law and Political Science, December 2012

Abstract

The recent developments in the region are not accidental, or superficial and sentimental incidents. Some try to describe them as economic discontent or Arab Spring. They come as part of a deeply-rooted movement which is dynamic, generative and lasting. It enjoys a civil background(Revival of Islamic Ummah),Religious support(Islam), gradual completion( during the past several centuries), and a comprehensive structure( political, economic, and cultural). Although, in some countries these movements have different paces, all of them seek the revival of the Islamic civilization. This movement faces theoretical, practical and religion as well as political challenges in the future as it already did in the past. This includes the revolutionary establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran which has been inspiring other nations for the past 34 years as well as the newly founded revolutionary governments arisen out of the recent Islamic Awakening movement in the region. It is of great significance to review and study this movement from scientific (theoretical), practical(strategic-functional), objective(executive) perspectives and delve into its entity, limits, sources, and capabilities, as well as the reasons and causes for its emergence. It is fateful to study these items to know the threat and challenges facing the Islamic Awakening movement in an effort to tackle hurdles and obstacles lying ahead. This article deals with reviewing long-term, short-term and middle term waves as well as the religious and revolutionary aspects of the Islamic Awaking. It also aims to study the regional, as well as the International and strategic repercussions of the movement.

Keywords

Awakening, Uprising, Revolution/Revolutionary, Islam/Islamic, Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic Proceedings of International Conference on Universities Professors and Islamic Awakening

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 Introduction

The recent regional developments in the Middle East and North Africa have been kind of unpredictable but at the same time quite predictable incidents which can not be viewed as superficial and temporary events. Some Western analysts and Zionist media outlets as well as media outlets affiliated to despotic Arab regimes have been attempting to depict the recent developments as superficial and temporary events. They have even coined the term “Arab Spring” to inculcate the idea that it has been a sentimental incident that would rapidly fade out after the arrival of summer, autumn and would finally collapse in winter. But on the contrary, the critical movement of Islamic Awakening which is the interpretation of this verse of the holy Quran,“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Surah Ra’ad, Verse 11) has prompted all Muslims including Shias and Sunnis across the Islamic Ummah to stand up and for their rights. Islamic Awakening is a fatal, dynamic, lasting, generative, all-inclusive, and comprehensive movement which is progressive. The reasons and causes behind this movement as well as it process are kind of unclear and need to be investigated. It is quite a difficult task to study its causes, origin, symbols dimensions, quantity, identity, as well as its consequences. At the same time, it is very important to explore the fundament and rudiments of this movement and the reasons behind it. The study of the Islamic Awakening can be divided into three categories: Study of movement, Study of phenomenon and study of its procedures and methods. Any inefficiency in this regard, will cause problems in the study of its pathology, immunology and strategic management. Study of Islamic Awakening should include view of all people including its supporters, opponents, Islamic Revolutionary Awakening; Civil-Religious-Revolutionary Waves

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 revolutionaries, counter-revolutionaries and … Such a study will result in an accurate, precise, fundamental, comprehensive, systematic and purposeful understanding of this movement. A study that reviews all fundaments and factors, background, trend , structure as well as the challenges facing the Islamic Awakening and revolution. It should include the historical and civil background, religious support, the evolutional structure of Awakening and uprising, moderate revolutionary and Islamic attitude, independent, freedom and people, Islamic republic, transcendental growth, unity and unanimity of Islamic world, revival of the Islamic civilization, revolution and revolutionary challenges, promotion of the political systems of revolutionary nations especially the unique political system of the Islamic Republic of Iran which enjoys more than three decades of experience in religious democracy.

Section one

The emergence and victory of the magnificent phenomenon of the Islamic Revolution took place in the age of the decline of divine values and the hegemony of modernism and liberalism as the Japanese theorist called it the end of the world (Fokoyama). As Imam Khomeini descried the Revolution in Iran as the explosion of light and miraculous and said it was beyond analysis. The occurrence and the victory of Islamic Revolution in Iran created a wave that triggered more revolutions and uprisings in the region.

It can be said that the recent Islamic uprisings and revolutions in the region and across the Islamic world are the aftershocks of the Islamic Revolution in Iran which was like a huge tremor that cased a tsunami in the region. The Islamic Revolution promoted revolutionary concepts like independence, freedom and Islamic Republic. Similar Proceedings of International Conference on Universities Professors and Islamic Awakening

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slogans are now being chanted in the uprisings and revolutions caused by the Islamic Awakening movement in the region. They can be sort of different in terms of method, pace, and intensity due to the national and religious conditions of the revolutionary nations. Islamic Revolution sought Independence of foreign rule as well as ending economic and political and cultural dependence on Western and Eastern powers and governments and cutting scientific and theoretical reliance on modernism, liberalism and socialism as well capitalism and totalitarianism. Liberalism has and capitalism are now facing deepening crisis and are on the verge of collapse, socialism and communism, Marxism and totalitarianism have already collapsed after the decline of the East and the Soviet Union. Both of these Western and Eastern systems resulted in inefficient cultural, political and economic systems.

The victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in the country made other nations believe in revolutionary ideals and institutionalized such concepts. The victory of the revolution and its successful phases of formation and perfection boosted hope inspiration among people. The Islamic Revolution witnessed establishment of the revolution, stability and the sacred defense, as well as the reconstruction of the country and developing the country’s infrastructures in the past 34 years. And in the fourth decade of its life, the Islamic Revolution is now after economic, political, cultural, spiritual and moral growth and perfection. It is facing the challenges of promoting efficiency and being up-to-date. The efficiency and success of this revolution has proved the fact that the Islamic Republic which is based on Islam has been far much more successful than absolute republics, as well as capitalist and democratic regimes which have kind of hidden traces of authoritarianism. Islamic Revolutionary Awakening; Civil-Religious-Revolutionary Waves

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 Section 2

Islamic Awakening can be considered in three levels: Short-term, middle-term and long-term. In the short range it deals with Islamic Revolution and its spread in the Middle East region. In the middle-term, it deals with In the middle-term, it deals with revival of Islamic civilization and revival of religious life. And in the long-term, it deals with spirituality and transcendental civil life. As mentioned before, the above-mentioned issues were the consequences and after-shocks of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The revolutionary and resistance movements in the region were the results of the Islamic Revolution. Resistance movement in Lebanon, Palestinian Intifada uprisings, and even the victory of Islamists in local and national elections in the region, including the victor of Islamists in Turkey, are all the repercussions of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The second wave of the repercussions of the revolution broke out in Tunisia two years ago and hit Egypt and now has reached Yemen and Bahrain. The third wave of the revolution will definitely sweep across many other countries in the region and even across the world. The preparation for such movement have already been made and its preliminary symptoms can be witnessed as they are piling up like a volcano just a head of eruption.

The medium-range and middle-term awakening and uprising refer to the civil and historical background of this movement and deal with the revival of Islam and Islamic civilization. Islam, as a perfect monotheist religion, started rapid growth and expansion from the very beginning of its emergence and spread across the whole world in a short while. It is now underway in a swathe of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Extortion of religion concepts and deviation from the principles of Islam resulted in internal problems in the political system of the Islamic Ummah. Religions Proceedings of International Conference on Universities Professors and Islamic Awakening

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differences among Muslims and internal conflicts fueled by shrewd politicians who used the religion instrumentally, weakened the great Islamic civilization. Two hundreds years of crusade wars and Moguls’ and Tatars’ savage invasion exhausted the Islamic civilization. The Western hegemonic rule across the world also contributed to the underdevelopment of the Islamic civilization and Muslims’ dependence and humiliation. The humiliation of Muslims made pioneering scholars think about a solution. The victory of Ijtihadis in wisdom and theology over the movement of sophistication and Ikhbarims with transcendental wisdom based on Sadra politics and the Ijtihadi theology of Sheikh Morteza Ansari ultimately started this practical and reformist movement that was hoisted by Seyyed Jamaledin as an Eastern philosopher and was represented by Sheikh Ansari who erected the flag of Islamic revolutionary uprising and spread across the Islamic World from Iran to India and Turkey to Egypt and Syria. Review and reconsideration of the views, works, comments and letters by Sayyed Jamaledin especially those published in the articles and editorials printed by Orvatolwosqa newspaper and those written by his Egyptian students, that is Mohammad Abdeh and Mohammad Rashid Reza(Father of Islamic Fundamentalism among Sunni Muslims), who were leading the uprisings in Egypt, Syria and North Africa are among these items.(Refer to Orvatolwosqa Newspaper, and other works by Seyyed Jamal, Abdeh, Rashi Reza such as Almanar, Revelation of Mohammad). Thus, the process of revival after the stage of review, reconsideration of reformist and revolutionary Islamic-civil teachings with a constitutionalist religious-political attitude, all over the Islamic world entered a new phase. Theory making (especially by Islamic scholars and not the modernist movement) and the victory of this anti-totalitarian uprising and the establishment of the political Islamic Revolutionary Awakening; Civil-Religious-Revolutionary Waves

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 system of royal Islamic constitutionalism in Iran were new steps towards the implementation and institutionalization of law, justice and Islamism. These factors have somehow paved the way and set the basis for the establishment of the Islamic Revolution. After the crackdown on constitutionalism and the Islamic uprisings across the Islamic world especially in India and Egypt as well as distortion and deviation from constitutionalism, and the replacement of foreign powers and governments especially the British rule versus Russia which supported absolute totalitarianism, made Muslims think about returning to their own Islamic values and principles. Mahmmad Iqbal Lahouri became the leader of the second wave of the Muslims’ revival process with the slogan of returning to their own religious and Islamic values.

Anti-colonial uprising by independence seekers made the second wave of the revival of Islamic movement. This process associated with oil uprising in Iran and to the establishment of new governments following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire across the Islamic world. The nationalization of Suez Canal and even the independence of India can be considered in this category. Following the modern colonialism and the hidden infiltration of US-Western capitalist imperialism and the Eastern bloc of Socialist Soviet Union, the movement entered a new phase. In Iran following the US-backed 1953 coup d’état, this movement underwent nearly a decade of uprising and entered a new phase which was against internal despotism and foreign arrogance. Thus, the Islamic Revolution forms the third wave of the revival of the Islamic civilization. So that, the repercussions and aftershocks of this revolution contributed to the continuity of the Islamic Awakening movement in the Middle East.

The revival of the Islamic civilization, the Islamic Revolution and Islamic Awakening and uprising themselves gave rise to a huge Proceedings of International Conference on Universities Professors and Islamic Awakening

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 spiritual and religious wave. In this perspective, humanity in the first wave, has passed through pre-historic era and set up civilization and started its political life with establishing government. Political and civil wave started with the invention of government in the Mesopotamia and Iran thousands of year ago. This wave brought about the first political and civil process and humanity gained a lot of experience in the field of political and social life as well lawmaking and observing religious values. The new materialist civilization throughout the past several centuries up until now, has established the second wave of materialistic and instrumental civilization which has brought about technological facilities. August Cont, the father of positivism and a leading figure in modern politics, science and philosophy, admits that Muslim scientists like Abu Ali Sina and Khajeh Nasir were the pioneers of modern experimental sciences. These scientists were Iranian Muslims. Modernism is like an airplane that has landed after flying a distance and now should take off and fly again. Moving on the ground is of no use and will simply be harmful. This is the third wave of civilization, which is after a transcendental and divine civilization. This wave started with the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran(Refer to , “What a dream have Iranian people” by Michel Foko, and also Iran: Spirit of a spiritless world, by Michel Foko).

Section 3

a. Islamic Awakening which is underway in the Middle East is an increasingly comprehensive and inclusive movement as all analyses, signs and evidence show. Islamic Awakening has different trend in different countries depending on their government, systems as well as religions, nationalities and the internal circumstances of the Islamic societies. In Shia communities, religious leaders are leading Islamic Revolutionary Awakening; Civil-Religious-Revolutionary Waves

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 the movement either in the form of Islamic resistance or Islamic Revolution. In Sunni nations, mostly young Muslims are leading the movement due to the conservativeness of traditional religious leaders. This was also the case during the era of Sayyed Jamaledin Assadabadi as when he would write a letter for Shia communities, he would address the clergies but when wrote letters to Sunni communities, like Egypt, he would address the youth.(refer to letters written by Sayyed Jamaledin Assadabadi).

Strategic leadership of Iran’s Revolution by Imam Khomeini can be a good model for other revolutionary nations. All the same, each nation has its own conditions and circumstances and even its own certain revolutionary model. In this regard, countries like Egypt can set good model for other Arab and African Sunni communities.

b. The Islamic Awakening movement has been reinforced and strengthened by the dominant arrogant-totalitarian rule in Islamic countries especially atrocities of Israel against the people of Palestine and even Lebanon and the West and particularly US support for the Zionist regime on one hand and the Islamic resistance inspired by the Islamic Revolution and the sacred defense in Iran and its victories on the other hand. The recent victories by the Islamic resistance in the Gaza Strip against the Israeli wars in recent years, including the recent 8-day war, in which the resistance movement imposed its conditions for ceasefire on the Zionist regime, are the beginning for an end caused by the Islamic Awakening wave.

c. The crisis of capitalism, modernism and socialism on one hand and the occupation of Islamic lands especially the US-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan which were started as part of imperialist goals and under the coverage of fighting terrorism as well as the failures and defeats of the NATO troops in the region and their forced withdrawal which is seen as a humiliating expulsion from Proceedings of International Conference on Universities Professors and Islamic Awakening

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these Islamic countries, deteriorate the crisis in the West and are considered as yet another evidence for the deficiency of the Western ideology, and at the same time contribute to the growth, expansion, and facilitation of the Islamic Awakening movement in the region and all across the Islamic World.

d. Strategic engineering, management, immunology, pathology, as well as scientific management of the Islamic Awakening movement are necessary for the perfection and completion of the Islamic Awakening movement. Meanwhile, conservatism and Radicalism are seen as two major threats for the Islamic Awaking movement. We can see some conservative groups as well as some extremist groups like Al-Qaeda, Taliban, and Wahabism which are sponsored and spearheaded by Saudi Arabia. Without curing and removing these cancerous tumors, these extremist groups would distort the true image of Islam and will result in heavy losses. As we can witness today in Syria, a Western-American-Zionist plot is underway to defeat resistance front. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are unfortunately supporting this scenario.

e. Any inefficiency by any person, institution or force involved in the Islamic Awakening, including religious leaders, government officials, will serve a blow to the movement. At the same time, despotic regional regimes as well as the arrogance non-regional power and the fake and fabricated regime of Israel are plotting to undermine the Islamic Awakening movement. A review of the latest developments indicates that neither intimidation nor invasion and crackdown can undermine the movement and indeed any such attempts will only deepen it. The reason for the rapid growth of this movement lies in the anger and humiliated dignity of Muslim nations. It would be in the interest of the Western countries to understand the spiritual reality and revolutionary entity of this Islamic Revolutionary Awakening; Civil-Religious-Revolutionary Waves

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 movement. This is almost next to possible. But if these countries show enough caution and care and instead of using threat or plots against the Islamic Awakening movement, try to accept the truth about it and recognize it, then they can make up for their past hatful and bloody crimes and atrocities and establish balanced and constructive ties with the great Islamic Middle East, a major bloc which will shape the political, security as well as economic and cultural transactions in the world. Such a strategy, will definitely benefit the regional countries as well as other countries all across the world. It is hope that they quit their ignorance and recognize the international Islamic pole and take a wise political approach towards it.

Conclusion

Thus, the Islamic Awakening and the Islamic revolution in the region should be defined in the future of the Islamic world and beyond the limits in the wake of the waves of the Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Revolution itself is the third wave aimed at reviving the Islamic Revolution. It is an anti-hegemony, anti-authoritarian movement that promotes religious democracy with the slogans of independence, freedom, and Islamic Republic. The double ultra-waves: first anti-authoritarian uprising and second the national anti-colonialism Islam. The historical and cultural wave composes the third wave. The wave of spirituality which tops Mahadawiat on its agenda and paves the way for it, can also be considered here in this regard. This was a short review of the methodology, phenomenology, and the study of the reasons behind Islamic Awakening and its historical, civil as well religious and Islamic support, the perfection trend (waves of civilization, revival, Islamic Revolutionary) complete structure, (anti-arrogance, anti-Zionism, Proceedings of International Conference on Universities Professors and Islamic Awakening

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 anti-despotism, anti-monarchy and pro-democracy) with a promising perspective towards independence, freedom and Islamic Republic and transcendental growth and development until the establishment of Islamic civilization and its cultural, spiritual and moral perfection, challenges of promoting efficiency, unity, and economic and political, cultural growth in domestic and international arenas.

Thus, the present study discussed the phenomenon, phenomenology, methodology, of the Islamic Awakening and the reasons behind it and its religious-Islamic identity and answered the questions raised on its religious and civil background and the process and the structure of the Islamic revolution and the perspectives and challenges lying ahead the Islamic Awakening movement.

Bibliography

1. The Holy Quraan

2. Assadabadi, Sayyed Jamaledin and Abdeh Mohammad and Rashid Reza, Mohammad, Orvatol Vosqa, (Orvatol Vosqa Daily editorials, translated by Khalkhali, Tehran, Bina, Bita and other works by Sayyed Jamal and Abdeh and Rashid.

3. Khomeini, Rouhollah, Sahifeh Nour, Tehran, Ershad Publications, 1982.

4. Sadra, Alireza, Political Philosophical Inclination, Tehran, Mizan Publications, 2007

5. Foko, Michel, Iran: Spirit of a spiritless world, translated by Sarkhosh and jahandideh, Tehran, Ney Publications, 2000

6. Foko, Michel, What a dream have Iranian people? Translated by Masoumi, Tehran


Islamic Awakening and ways to maintain it by using experiences of Islamic Revolution

Mostafa Malakoutiyan1

Abstract

This research is aimed at discussing Islamic Awakening and ways to maintain it, introducing the features and causes of Iran‘s religious revolution and its success and introducing its ideals and the leadership of the Islamic Revolution as a perfect example of Islamic Awakening as well as proposing 9 important ways to maintain Islamic Awakening.

Keywords

Islamic Awakening, social force, political power, revolutionary cause, religious revolution, revolutionary institutions, independence

Introduction

Doubtlessly, Iran‘s Islamic Revolution has been a turning point in the path of the Islamic Awakening. This revolution had great influence on the regional developments and introduced a new path to the world through establishing a religious democratic establishment. The achievements and accomplishments of this revolution in both domestic and international arenas made it an epitome of independence, self-confidence, and authority and the main cause of the recent Islamic Awakening movement. The Islamic Revolution gave rise to fateful developments in different Arab countries including Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait, although, the final results have been kind of different so far. One of the reasons for these differences has been some of the problems and shortages of these movements as well as the interference

1. Tehran University Professor

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of certain Western governments especially the United States due to the great significance of the issue.

In this section of the study, Islamic revolution, its ideals, leadership, and function as the perfect epitome of Islamic Awakening, will be discussed form Ayatollah Motahari‘s point of view. In the final section of this research, the ways to maintain Islamic Awakening will be discussed.

Religious revolution

Ayatollah Motahari describes revolution as rebellion by the people of a territory against its rulers which is aimed at setting up a desirable order which is associated with kind of aggression and rejection of oppression. (About Islamic Revolution, Morteza Motahari P:23-43).

Ayatollah Motahari believes divine uprisings are inclined towards the oppressed people but their origins don‘t come from the oppressed people.

―The audiences of Islam are all social groups and classes including both the deprived and the privileged, because a human is in shackles in any kind of mental and pharaoh oppression. At the same time, more oppressed people accept the divine invitation as the oppressor shout give back other people‘s rights and forget his own desires, but unlike the oppressors, oppressed people both responds to their instinctive calls and achieve something by doing so.‖(Same source)

Ayatollah Motahari also writes about the characteristics of an Islamic revolution:

It is clear that Islam is not sheer divinity as Westerners consider. This is true for not only the recent revolution (Iran‘s Islamic Revolution) but also the revolution in early Islamic era. The revolution in the early Islamic era was at the same time religious, political and economic. That is to say it promoted freedom and justice and was against social

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discrimination and class gaps. These concepts made their ways to the minds of the people and made our recent uprising an inclusive and comprehensive one. People from different walks of life participated in this revolution. Rural and city people, deprived and privileged people, workers, farmers, merchants, intellectuals, laymen, all of them took part in this uprising because of the Islamic nature of this movement. Above all, this uprising managed to make coordination among people, and make them believe that they are following an independent ideology and school of thought and can stand on their own feet and become self-reliant. (Same source, P: 31-36)

The following points should be taken into account in regards to religious revolutions.

1. Regarding the principle and the rules of a religious society, discontent and disenchantment with rulers take place when the members of the society find a kind of contradiction between the political, economic and social situation of the society and its ideology which arises from the country‘s religious culture.

2. In a religious society, people generally get attracted by revolutionary ideals that are rather in line with their religious ideals.

3. In religious societies, religious leaders lead revolutionary movements and pave the way for the victory of the revolution by making strategic decisions that accelerate the victory of the revolution and result in less damage and loss.

4. In a religious society, religion plays a unique role in forming revolutionary ideals. It also promotes concepts like fighting oppression, seeking martyrdom, and practicing religious duties. Religion also deepens revolutionary morale and speeds up the movement of the revolution and ultimately paves the way for its victory.

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5. Religious revolution enjoys support of religious people who are ready to make sacrifices to achieve their ideals. In these revolutions, the ultimate goal is not gaining better political or economic conditions; In fact, people are seeking their religious ideals which also have political and economic dimensions. Under such circumstances, the religion and faith bring about a miraculous power, which eschews political power and its supporters from taking any initiatives. This issue was quite evident when the Islamic Revolution became victorious in Iran despite the political power of Pahlavi regime.

To sum up, it can be concluded that a religious revolution has a historical religious culture, religious ideals, religious leadership, faithful people, and may take place when people are humiliated by their rulers in face of arrogant strangers and by the government‘s anti-religion moves in cultural, political and economic fields which result in underdevelopment. These conditions and situations can be witnessed in most of the Arab countries in the Middle East.

Formation and victory of a religious revolution

For the formation of a religious revolution with the above-mentioned properties, some pre-conditions should be met. For a revolution to take place the society should become bipolar; two powers in the society confront and there is lack of reconciliation and approximation: political power and social powers. (Manouchehr Mohammadi, 1986, P:71-72). In addition, for a revolution to become victorious, social power should overcome the political power. Off course, power does not simply mean material and palpable elements such as the number of supporters, military strength, economic power and foreign backing. Other impalpable factors such as power of faith and ideals,

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strategies, revolutionary morale, and leadership are taken into account as important issues in this regard.

Role of characteristics of political power and its measures

A dependent, inefficient, despotic political power takes social, cultural, political and economic measures that the society does not put up with. Such moves which are taken almost on a daily basis, drive the society toward bipolarization.

In a religious revolution, disenchantment with the circumstances of the society are stronger and more authentic that that of a non-religious revolution. In a non-religious revolution, people wants which are basically materialistic in nature, fade out as soon as the ruling political power withdraws. Such demands usually lead to reformist compromises. Even, some victorious non-religious revolutions fail to progress considerably and return to square one because of getting trapped by global powers and not heeding the plots of the enemies.

In a religious revolution, sense of national humiliation, cultural, political, economic dependence, Westernization of the society, wide gap between rich and poor classes, are much stronger, firmer and more purposeful than other revolutions. Revolutionary leaders off course, play a critical role in foiling demagogy, and the plots by the enemies of the revolution.

Role of characteristics of social power and its measures

Social power in religious revolution is made up of revolutionary ideals, religious revolutionary leadership, and faithful people.

The interconnection of these three elements results in unity which is a tremendous power in revolutionary situations, which, if maintained, can lead to victory. Revolutionary ideals are interwoven with religious faith and are authentic. That is why they usually do not give in

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to the promises of puppet regimes. Religious leaders, due to their piety and virtue and avoidance of materialism, prefer the progress of religious purposes to that of earthly issues.

When religious people‘s support and concepts like martyrdom seeking, sacrifice, and religious responsibility are added to these two elements, political power gets increasingly weaker against the revolution.

In a religious revolution (and off course in any kind of revolution) the best results are achieved when the leadership is unified and the leader of the revolution is decisive and self-confident and makes wise decisions in accordance with present circumstances.

Counter-revolutionary moves by foreign powers

Once a revolution, especially a religious one, breaks out, arrogant foreign powers launch a massive campaign to protect their own hegemonic interests. These attempts, as seen in the Islamic Awakening process and Arab revolutions in North Africa and Persian Gulf region, have triggered various reactions from foreign countries. These responses include, military intervention under the cover of humanitarian aid, (like in Libya, so that they get involved in the process and contribute to the formation of the new political system) urging rulers to surrender power to military rulers( For example in Egypt and Tunisia to buy enough time to make their favorable changes in future), paving the way for the military intervention of neighboring countries (like what happened in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia) and etc.

In their confrontations with revolutions, arrogant power use other methods such as direct military intervention, if their own domestic conditions and international circumstances allow them, like the US military intervention in Vietnam (1965-1975) which ultimately resulted in a scandalous defeat

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for Washington, (Robert Chandler, 1995, different pages) attempting to penetrate into the establishment during the post revolution era, despite consecutive failures. They use different methods including economic sanctions to contain revolutions.

Ideals of Iran’s Islamic Revolution

Thoughts play a unique role in social developments; thinking power make human distinct from other animals. Human has been granted with mental and intellectual capabilities which allow him to choose. Thoughts can be divided into two categories: philosophy which deal with existential issues and ideology which means shoulds and should nots. There is a close relation between philosophy and ideology.

When we talks about is and is not, we deal with certain should and should nots and logically speaking, it is not possible to extract any kind of shoulds and shoul nots from a certain ideology. (Morteza Motahari, 2000, 75-76).

By studying the history of revolutions, we realize that the development of new substitute ideologies among intellectuals and ordinary people during the final years of toppled regimes:

This situation was seen during the final decades of Pahlavi rule in Iran. We can notice that during the two last decades of Pahlavi era, Islamists, especially revolutionary clergies, pave the way for the return of the society to its own authentic values and protecting it against the Western cultural invasion. Doubtlessly, the Islamic Revolution could not have been successful without this stage.

Here is a brief look at the content, identify and development of the causes contributing to the comprehensiveness of the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.

A. Elements comprising the Ideals of Islamic Revolution

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Islam is a comprehensive and complete religion and includes all individual and social aspects of human life and has genuine divine teachings to offer in all fields including politics, economy, society, culture, mysticism, ethics, science and etc. accordingly, Iran‘s Islamic Revolution, compared with other revolutions, enjoys a unique revolutionary ideal; this ideal emphasizes the establishment of the Islamic Republic and Providence of the Jurist. Other positive points of other revolutions such as freedom, equality, independence and development also exist in the ideals of the Islamic Revolution. In fact, these are inseparable elements of the ideal of the Islamic Revolution and it can not be claimed that they have been copied from other revolutions.

The ideal of the Islamic Revolution indicates a new path for the independence and liberation of oppressed nations across the world. Gaining independence is one of the most important elements of the ideal of the Islamic Revolution. It is also a necessary prerequisite for the establishment of the utopia the Islamic Revolution is seeking. History shows that the revolutions which compromise with colonial and arrogant governments ultimately lose their independence.

In general, the ideal of the Islamic Revolution is an endogenous ideal which cultural authenticity and enjoys a strong popular support.

B. Formation of ideal of Islamic Revolution

Before the development of the ideal of the Islamic Revolution, there were three prevalent ideologies in the Iranian society all of which fail. The first one was the theory of modernization that was put forward with people like Mirza Malkem Khan, Akhoondzadeh, Talebof and others during the Mashrooteh uprising. These people believed Westernization was the only way to cure the underdevelopment. But they came to the end of the road, soon after Reza Shah took power. Iranian nationalism was

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established back in 1940s prior to the nationalization of the oil industry in Iran. Nationalists managed to seize some parts of the political power but they failed to have an ideal which reflected the true needs of the society in various cultural, political and economic fields and they were pro-West. Nationalism came to the end of the road after 1953 Iranian coup d’état. Iranian Marxists emerged during Reza Shah‘s era, but they were rejected by the society due to the fact that their ideology had nothing to do with Iranians‘ religious beliefs as well as their dependence on foreign powers like the Soviet Union and China.

One of the most important factors contributing to the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution was the spirit of justice-seeking and fighting oppression in the history of Shia Islam. Shia Islam has stood up against the oppressive ruling powers throughout the history and has been after a justice-seeking and anti-oppression ideal. Shia Muslims consider their first religious leader, Imam Ali, as the epitome of justice and commemorate the bloody uprising of Imam Hossein against the oppressive ruler of his time Yazid, every year to revere his great sacrifice and selflessness.

Ayatollah Motahari describes the historical and cultural background of people‘s support for Imam Khomeini and his school of thought as following:

Imam Khomeini call came from the bottom of hearts of the Iranian nation. The people who had already heard the names of Mohammad, Ali, Zahra, Hossein, Zeinab, Salman, and Abuzar and hundreds of thousands of other courageous men and women during the past 14 centuries of fighting against oppression and cruelty, once again heard the familiar voice from the throat of this man. They saw Ali and Hossein in his face. They viewed him as the perfect reflection of their genuine culture which had been

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humiliated by despotic rulers. What did Imam Khomeini do? He gave people personality. He revived their real Islamic identity. He managed to make people believe in him. He clearly announced that Islam is the only way of salvation… The people who had long lusted to be one of Imam Hossein followers in Karbala battle centuries ago, suddenly saw Imam Hossein in arena. (Motahari, On Islamic Revolution, p: 94-95)

Efforts by the revolutionary clergy headed by Imam Khomeini and religious groups, especially during the final two decades of Pahlavi dynasty, resulted in the formation of the ideal of the Islamic Revolution. These activities can be divided into three categories:

1. Fighting against philosophical and political doubts about the role of religion in politics and uncertainties on discrepancy between religion and science which were circulated in the society by the ruling regime and Marxists. Imam Khomeini deemed the slogan of ―Separation of religion and politics‖ as scheme plotted by arrogant powers which was accepted by religious dogma. After being released from prison back in March 1960, Imam Khomeini said:

―Islam is a political religion. It has been introduced to the public in a wrong way. I‘m not kind of those clergies who sit here and count rosary beads. I‘m not Pope who goes to the Catholic Church only on Sundays. This country should be rescued. Enemies don‘t want this country to become prosperous and flourishing. (Sahifeh Imam, Volume 1, p:270)

Imam Khomeini believed that Islam basically emphasizes the relation between politics and religion and its political and social aspects overshadow its religious aspects and the government is the practical philosophy of theology in all of human life aspects and the real theory of

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theology is capable of managing human‘s life from cradle to grave. (Sahifeh Imam, Volume 21, P: 122-298)

2. Massive efforts by religious revolutionaries to define the real meanings of a number of Islamic concepts such as waiting (for Imam Zaman) Ashura, dissimulation 1 and etc. (Hamid Enayat, 1997)

3. Imam Khomeini‘s collection of lectures on Islamic rule at Najaf religious seminary back in 1969 was a great theoretical asset for the movements of Muslim combatants and was matched with their ideology. Imam Khomeini in his first book ―Kashfol Asrar‖ strongly blasted Reza Shah‘s policies and proposed the idea of providence of the jury. In that book, Imam Khomeini emphasized that the rule would be authorized only if the King was elected by a group of qualified mujtahids (Islamic scholars) and was in place until the establishment of a better government. 35 years later, Imam himself said that it was possible to establish such a government. ( A group of authors, 2005, p:131)

Without doubt, the special relation between the people and religious leaders including the issue of religious authority and people‘s trust in religious scholars due to their frugal life, has played a major role in their association with deprived groups of the society.2

C. Causes of public agreement to ideal of Islamic Revolution

In general, the following factors, have been key to the acceptance and spread of the ideal of the Islamic

1 .For further information on Imam Khomeini‘s views about dissimulation, refer to Imam Khomeini, Providence of the Jurist p: 6, 33, 53, 177

2 .This issue has been mentioned in different sources. For example, Sahebi, 1988, p:212 which refers to the independent role of Shia clergies in attracting masses of people. Kadi, 1990, p:292-294, believes Imam Khomeini‘s popularity was due to his opposition to US, Soviet Union, and Israeli imperialism and monarchs especially Pahlavis and his association with deprived people, as well as his spiritual attraction and political insight and his followers deep respect for him.

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Revolution: 1. Being domestic and endogenous and connected to the Islamic culture of Iranian people

2. Massive attempts by Islamic groups to eliminate previously-mentioned doubts and proposing revolutionary definitions for Islamic concepts.

3. The character, thoughts, ideas and strategies and activities of Imam Khomeini

4. People and intellectuals‘ trust in Imam Khomeini and clergies and their ideas

Thus, the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, were promptly accepted by the people as they were angry with the current situation of the country. They found Imam Khomeini a divine man with a strong will who represented their thoughts and wants. People took to the streets in support of Imam Khomeini and Shah and his foreign supporters who had appointed him as the gendarme of the region and supplied him with advanced weapons failed to prevent the victory of the revolution and the regime which considered itself as the heir to the 2500 years of Kingdom in Iran collapsed.

Imam Khomeini’s leadership in Islamic Revolution; Methods, strategies, functions

The role of leadership is known in all revolutions and there is no revolution without leadership although in any revolution the role of the leadership is manifested in its own certain way. For example, during the 1789 French Revolution, Mirabeau, Danton, Robespierre each took their roles in the movement. In 1962 Revolution in Algeria, a structure, that is National Front of Liberation of Algeria took leadership role and in 1917 revolution in Russia, Lenin Bolshevik party jointly led the revolution and in Cuban Revolution back in 1959 and Iranian

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Revolution back in 1979, Fidel Castro and Imam Khomeini were the leaders of the revolutions.

Meanwhile, Imam Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution indicated certain authority and capability in leading the revolution in Iran. Imam was fully aware of Shah regime and the cultural characteristics of the Iranian nation. He emphasized the role of religious authority and until he himself had not gained this position, used to follow religious authority of his era. In general, Imam Khomeini played a unique and fateful role in the victory of the revolution and the post-revolution developments.

Here is a review of some of important points about his leadership of the Islamic Revolution:

A. Basis of Imam’s leadership: Believing in carrying out divine responsibility and obligation

Imam Khomeini was a perfect man trained at the school of Islam and a true servant of God. He would always perform his religious duties. Fighting against Mohammad Reza Shah‘s regime and the establishment of the Islamic government can be analyzed in this regard. This issue (performing his religious duties) was also dominant after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and ending the war imposed on Iran by the ousted Iraqi dictator Saddaam Hussein. Imam believed the war reinforced Iran‘s defense capabilities and made the Iranian nation self-sufficient and accelerated the export of the Islamic Revolution. He said: ―We have exported our revolution across the world during the imposed war, we have come to the conclusion that we have to stand on our own feet, we managed to break the mystique of Eastern and Western superpowers and proved that global arrogant powers are weak and vulnerable against the will of a determined nation.‖ (Sahifeh Imam, Volume 21, p:283)

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B. Role of Imam Khomeini’s personal characteristics in leadership

Imam Khomeini had strong will self-confidence and believed in the rightfulness of his path and unlike him, the ruler of Pahlavi regime were very vulnerable and lacked confidence in their capabilities.

Imam‘s courage and bravery became a model for elites and masses of the people and finally resulted in the creation and maintenance of revolutionary morale in the society. This issue had a significant impact on occurrence of the revolution.

He was decisive and determined both prior to the start of the final movement of the revolution in January 1978 and during revolution in 1979. In the final stages of the revolution, some of Pahalavi regime officials wanted to meet with him, but Imam Khomeini, who deemed Pahlavi regime illegitimate and illegal, insisted that they should first step down before having any meeting with him. Sayyed Jalal Tehrani, the chairman of the royal council managed to meet Imam Khomeini after his resignation.

C. Imam Khomeini’s attempts during the leadership of the Islamic uprising since 1960s until 1979

Imam Khomeini performed his various leadership responsibilities in the best possible way. Here is a brief review of his activities:

1. Training revolutionary forces

During the before the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini trained a group of committed and reliable students who contributed to the maintenance of the revolution by traveling to different cities and regions across the country to spread the ideals of the revolution and mobilizing public support for the uprising. The students of Imam Khomeini‘s school played an

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outstanding role in the victory of the Islamic Revolution regarding the fact that no major professional political party or group contributed to the victory of the revolution.

2. Conveying and spreading Ideals of the Islamic Revolution

Spreading the revolutionary ideals is on of the fundamental preconditions for the occurrence of a revolution. Spreading the revolutionary ideals may some times require removing some thoughts and ideologies among ruling groups and staging certain preaching campaigns.

Imam Khomeini on one hand, forbade religious dissimulation (Dissimulation is forbidden and it is mandatory to reveal truth, Sahifeh Imam, Volume 1, p: 178) before the Revolution in a move meant to break the silence of religious seminaries on Pahlavi regime‘s crimes and highlight the fact that Islam is a political religion, and on the other hand, promoted the revolutionary aspects of religious concepts including Ashura and provoked people against Shah regime.

He also introduce a substitute government through his lectures on Islamic rule and providence of the jurist back in 1969 when he was on exile in Najaf. Expressing and then spreading the ideal of the Islamic Revolution took place by Imam Khomeini and his companions across the country. This was one of the most critical stages of the revolution. Needless to say, the victory of the Islamic Revolution was not possible without this phase.

3. Setting and implementing revolutionary strategies and tactics

The leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini was very precise and meticulous in selecting methods of fighting. In each stage of the revolution, he chose certain

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strategies and tactics. If other alternative had been chosen at that time, then it would have been impossible to hasten the occurrence and victory of the Islamic Revolution. Training revolutionary forces before the occurrence of the Revolution, using negative fighting which means using nationwide strikes and the strategy of no confrontation with regime‘s military forces, (Ahmad Ali Khosravi, 2000, different pages) were among Imam Khomeini‘s different methods to push ahead the revolution. These strategies sped up the victory of the revolution. Armed conflict with a regime that was considered as the US gendarme in the region, could have delayed the victory of the revolution and result in dire consequences including losses of life.

4. Public mobilization and involvement of elites and the masses

Imam Khomeini managed to mobilize both the masses and the elites of the society when the revolution took place. Islamic Revolution is unique in its popular backing among other contemporary revolutions. Except the remnants of the former regime who were against the Revolution, almost all other groups and people in the society agreed to Imam Khomeini‘s order and supported the Islamic Revolution. People‘s confidence in Imam Khomeini as a leader and his leadership tactics resulted in a massive movement that took Shah regime and its supporters aback and prevented them from taking any action to deter the Revolution.

5. Establishment of Islamic Republic

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini relied on popular support for the revolution and rejected demands of some minor political groups that were trying to set obstacles to the establishment of the Islamic

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government. Such groups lacked people‘s backing and were reliant on external powers. Imam Khomeini paved the way for the foundation of a new establishment by holding a general referendum. Then he composed a council of experts for writing a new constitution for the country and after the ratification of the principles of this constitution, put it to the vote.

As a result, the Islamic Republic which was a modern Islamic establishment came into existence. All structures and senior officials of this political system including its leader, president, lawmakers, and even some low-level officials including members of city councils and village councils are elected by people‘s direct vote.

Imam Khomeini established a religious democracy in the age of ruling materialistic and earthly governments to show a new path to Muslim nations which both is in line with God‘s orders and highlights people‘s participation in the politics.

D. Imam Khomeini and post-Revolution incidents

Imam Khomeni had a kind of extraordinary insight, wisdom and self-confidence in dealing with national and international developments that took place following the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

Regarding the domestic incidents and developments, Imam Khomeini used popular support to resolve problems and difficulties and ultimately stabilized the Islamic establishment. He showed the same prudence in face of international issues. For example, when former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hossein invaded Iran back in 1980, Imam Khomeini confidently said that Saddam who was enjoying support of world powers in its aggression against Iran, will receive a strong slap in the face. Soon after, Saddam got disappointed and was almost until the end of the war was desperately begging for an end to the war he had staged. After Iranian

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students stormed the US den of espionage( former American embassy in Tehran) Imam Khomeini called the move as the second revolution and rejected Americans‘ threats and announce: ―The US cannot do a damn thing.‖ (Sahifeh Imam Khomeini, Volume 10, p:515)

Imam Khomeini‘s insight and wisdom was also evident in his approach to other developments that took place after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. Before passing away, Imam Khomeini gave an end to the imposed war and applied necessary reforms to the constitution. A sentence from his will indicates Imam Khomeini‘s confidence about the future of the Islamic Republic: ―With a heart that is calm and confident; with a joyous soul and a conscience hopeful of God‘s Graces, I take my leave from brothers and sisters, and journey to the eternal abode‖(Sahifeh Imam Khomeini, Volume 21, p:450)

Generally speaking, Imam Khomeini was an eminent and outstanding intellectual who believed in integration of politics and religion. He was the founder of the modern establishment who managed to toppled the Western-backed regime of Shah with his spectacular revolutionary strategies and tactics. Imam Khomeini, with his remarkable self-confidence and determination founded the Islamic Republic of Iran and safeguarded the Revolution against salvo of internal and international incidents.

Ways to maintain Islamic Awakening

Islamic Revolution, as a perfect reflection of Islamic Awakening has many useful experiences to offer for the continuation and maintenance of Islamic Awakening. Here we bring 9 items that can be taken into consideration in this regard.

A. Overcoming weaknesses in ideal and leadership of movement

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As mentioned in the section of the Iran‘s Islamic Revolution, ideal and leadership are two basic components of a perfect revolution. The more decisive and firmer these elements are, the more efficient they will be in attracting the masses and pushing forward the victory of the revolution. Without a doubt, Iran‘s Islamic Revolution managed to attract the masses and the elites of the society in a rather short time and resulted in minimum possible casualties while foiling the plots by foreign enemies thanks to its ideals and the leadership. As the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei has already said the leadership of Imam Khomeini prevented post-revolution violence and clashes like what happened following the revolution in France.

Unfortunately, in the recent revolutions in North Africa and the Persian Gulf region( except Bahrain which has had better situation), there have been some weak points in the ideals and the leadership of the revolutions. Weak leadership in these revolution originates from confidence in media tools like internet which are controlled by the West and allow the Western powers to recognize the revolutionary leaders and elements and manipulate the process of the revolution to secure their own interests.

B. Compiling and implementing a religion-centered constitution

It is clear that the best results in a revolution take place when a new constitution is written on the basis of revolutionary ideals and the previous constitution is abolished to prevent the return of the remnants of the former regime and the counter-revolution elements. This new constitution should emphasize the fundamental role of religion in politics and religious democracy and eliminate any liberalist traces that are seen as a lethal poison for the revolution.

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The constitution is generally a fundamental document that contains a country‘s goals, and ideals as well as the methods to realize them. If revolutionary governments for any given reason, including international pressures, fail to write and implement a new constitution based on revolutionary ideas, foreign arrogant governments will impose their policies on the country by the passage of time. On the contrary, a religion-centered constitution can be used as the model and paragon of movement to stop deviation from revolutionary goals.

C. Establishing revolutionary institutions in different fields

Revolutionary institutions play three major roles: Managing affairs after the revolution takes place, preventing the society from returning to pre-revolution state, and achieving the objectives and ideals of the Revolution. (Mostafa Malakoutiyan, an Introduction to theoretical foundations of religious revolution and its formation and continuity, selected articles at International Conference on Youth and Islamic Awakening, 2011, p: 317). During and after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Imam Khomeini prudently established a group of revolutionary institutions in different fields including the council of revolution, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Basij, Jihad of construction, Revolutionary court, and etc. These institutions have been assigned with promoting and maintaining the ideals of the revolution. Imam Khomeini highlighted the critical role of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in the revolution and said if Islamic Revolution Guards Corps did not exist, the country would not exist either. As mentioned before, these institutions reinforce the position of forces who are committed and loyal to the ideals of the Revolution and prevent the return of the society to the pre-revolution state and pave the way for implementation of the goals and ideals of the revolution.

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D. Maintaining and continuing the goals and slogans of the revolution and reinforcing the independence of the country and continued mistrust of West

The experience of successful and unsuccessful revolution has shown that in order to be victorious, a revolution must be independent of arrogant international powers and seriously attempt to reach its objectives and goals. Revolutionaries should bear in mind that foreign powers will not halt attempts to return to their country‘s political arena simply because of the preliminary victory of the revolution.

The penetration of world powers into the political system of revolutionary nations paves the way for forgetting the independence-seeking ideals of the revolution and stops it from achieving its goals. It is clear that hostile world powers constantly try to defeat the revolution and if revolutionary leaders and forces are deceived by their schemes, they will play into their hands.

E. Issue of Palestine, main concern of Islamic World

Israel‘s occupation of the Palestinian Territories and al-Quds, Muslims first Qibla, took place as a result of a joint plot by the International Zionism and British government as well and negligence and surrender of Arab rulers. Therefore, it is the basic responsibility of Islamic uprisings to view the issue of Palestine as the most important problem of the Islamic world and spare no efforts to return the holy Palestinian territory to the Islamic World and evict Zionists from the holy land.

During the past years, Islamic Republic of Iran‘s aids and assistance to the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance fighters resulted in their increasing strength and bring about consecutive humiliating defeats for the Zionist

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regime during the 33, 22, and 8-day wars with resistance fighters. This issue has proved to be a successful experience in fighting against the fake regime of Israel.

The Islamic world has a lot of economic, military, and political capabilities. If it sends necessary aid to the Palestinians, without a doubt, the Zionist regime will be place on the downward spiral and its supporters will have no choice but accepting this reality.

G. Strategic cooperation and alliance with revolutionary forces and countries

A country with revolutionary ideals, should sever ties with hostile countries and substitute them with countries that are in line with their revolutionary goals. Establishing strategic alliances are important from two perspectives: From one hand, friendly countries can share each others‘ facilities. This issue can result in their progress and facilitate tackling problems and on the other hand strengthen and protect them against enemies and brings them a kind of security guarantee. It also turns them into an invincible force in the times of war or crisis. Strategic alliance between revolutionary governments and forces change the political geography of the region and paves the way for fateful and critical changes the international power structure.

H. Creating solutions and legal institutions inside the country’s constitution to resolve differences

The constitution of a country is the main and fundamental document that sets guidelines for cultural, political, economic, and social activities. It should also contain basic procedures and solutions to resolve possible differences that could arise in the country. On the basis of Islamic rules and regulations, which are the foundations of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran and according to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of

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Iran, the leader of the establishment can resolve differences among political officials by issuing orders and prevent dire consequences of such differences. Also, according to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, Expediency Council is responsible for resolving differences between the parliaments and the Guardian Council of the Constitution.

I. Focus on scientific and technological advancements to build a modern and self-sufficient country

Scientific and technological growth as well as having a boosting and self-sufficient economy is considered a genuine Islamic value. Islam advises Muslims not to go under the rule of the unbelievers and infidels.

Scientific and technological progress is one of the major goals of Islamic Awakening and the contemporary revolutions which should be realized through preparing and implementing strategic and long-term planning. (Like Iran‘s development roadmap by 2025).

This issue is necessary for some other reasons:

First, underdevelopment of a country is because of inefficient rulers who have been reliant on foreign powers. Under the new circumstances, people expect the Islamic Awakening to tackle underdevelopment and start the path of progress and growth. Second, the more a government wants to be independent, the more pressure it will receive from Western countries. On the other hand, Islamic Awakening should be able to eliminate scientific and technological dependence on the West. In this regard, reviewing the history of the Islamic Revolution in Iran has indicated that it is possible to resist the economic pressures and sanctions imposed by the enemies via relying on domestic capabilities and maintaining independence.

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J. Refusing alliance with secular and liberal forces and mistrust of Western rulers and despotic Arab monarchs

Islamic Awakening has had some known enemies such as pro-West secular, liberal forces as well as despotic Arab rulers. Distancing these enemies is necessary for the maintenance and protection of the Islamic Awakening. Regarding the case of pro-West secular and liberal forces, no conflict of confrontation is needed. It is simply necessary to keep them off the bay through non-alliance with forces which if have the chance to come to power, will pave the way for the presence of foreign powers in the country due to their pro-west attitudes. No explanation is needed regarding the case of Western countries and despotic Arab rulers.

Conclusion

This research has tried to introduce the most important features involved in the happening of Islamic Awakening and religious revolution and its differences with other revolutions. The final section of this study deals with the ways of maintaining Islamic Awakening with a review of 34-year experiences of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. To achieve their desirable goals and objectives, Revolutionary developments in the region should overcome weaknesses in their ideals and leadership and compose a religion-centered constitution and a religious democracy and insure the future of the revolution by establishing revolutionary institutions.

In addition, insistence on independence and distrust of the West, paying attention to the issue of Palestine as the key problem of the Islamic World, establishing strategic alliance with revolutionary forces and countries, focusing on scientific and technological progress, considering solutions in the constitution to settle possible differences and finally non-alliance with internal secular and liberal

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forces and not trusting the promises made by despotic Arab rulers and Western leaders, are among other issues that can contribute to the dynamicity and livelihood of the Islamic Awakening movement.

Resources

A group of authors, Islamic Revolution and the Reasons Behind its Occurrence, Qom, Daftar-e- Nashr-e- Maaref, 2004

Chandler, Robert, War of Ideas: The U.S. Propaganda Campaign in Vietnam, 1995, translated by Mostafa Malakoutiyan, Tehran University, The Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, 1995

Khosravi, Ahmad Ali, A Review of Imam Khomeini‘s Strategies in Leading Islamic Revolution, Qom, Peyk Jalal, 2000

Lectures by Leader of Islamic Revolution in the 4th Meeting of Fundamental Ideas, November, 2011

Sahebi, Mohammad Javad, Reformist Approach in Awakening Uprising, Keyhan 1988

Enayat, Hamid, Two Revolutions in Iraqn, 1979, Religion as Political Ideology, Introduction to Roots of Islamic Revolution, Qom, Daftare Nashre Maaref, 1997

Kadi, Niki, Roots of Islamic Revolution, Translated by Abdolrahim Gavahi, Tehran: Qom, 1990

Mohamadi, Manouchehr, An Analysis of Islamic Revolution, Tehran, Amirkabir Publications, 1986f

Mousavi, Khomeini, (Imam) Sahifeh Imam, Volumes 10-21, Tehran, the Institute for Compilation and Publication of the Works of Imam Khomeini, Volume, 1, 1999

Mousavi, Khomeini, (Imam), Providence of the Jurist, Tehran, Faqih Publication Office, Bita

Motahari, Morteza, Collection of Works, Volume 2, An Introduction to Islamic Ideology, Qom, Sadra Publications, 2000

Malakoutiyan, Mostafa, An Introduction to Theoretical fundaments of Religion Revolution and its formation and continuity, Selected Articles by International Conference on Islamic Awakening and Youth, Tehran, Organization of Islamic Awakening, Volume 1, 2011.


Islamic awakening and Young Generation

Dr. Aziz Mahdi (India)

“The reward of deeds depends upon intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended”

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Let‘s see what happens when we look at the concept of Islamic awakening while keeping this Hadith in our minds? Undeniably it is a reward for the youth and young generation for the pious intentions and actions of their predecessors; for all that is happening today in the form of Widespread Islamic Awakenings is the fruit of the tree which was planted yesterday. It is the reward which God has given us for our true belief in him and complete submission towards him, otherwise if it would not have been for God‘s grace, this day would never have come; as for decades Muslims have been flooded with accusations by their opponents; that too to such an extent that they are labeled “reactionaries,” “die-hard traditionalists,” “bigots” by the so called civilized West under the existing anti- Islamic situations prevailing all over the globe.

It is widely known for a fact that as for today, the Imperialist and Zionist regimes are doing everything in their power to look for any opportunity to crush the Islamic fundamentals

and also this wave of Islamic awakening which while being in its first stage has shaken the world powers and has shown them what the Islamic Ummah can do when they are united!

The later stages of this ―Wave‖ can only be speculated about and it is this speculation which is one of the prime

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reasons why the west is worried about this phenomenon which for sure is going to become a world phenomenon on a much bigger scale than it is today. As Ayatollah Khamenei had once pointed out in one of his speeches after Friday prayers which I quote ―the political upheaval in the Arab world was part of an “irreversible defeat” for the United States and an “Islamic awakening” in the Middle East‖; this is what the west is so angry about, their ―irreversible defeat‖!

The axial point of this article will be the role of youth in Islamic Awakening; because we being the young generation have duties as a part of Islamic Ummah and it is we who have huge responsibilities on our shoulders. It is ‗Us‘, the young generation who have the task of planting yet another seed of the same tree which our predecessors like Imam Khomeini planted for us and take the legacy forward. It is our duty to protect this Islamic Awakening from any harms whatsoever by the enemies of Islam and make it a deep rooted world phenomenon which our generations to come can use as a shelter.

Let us first look at Islam. What is Islam? It is undoubtedly a religion of submission and awakening.

It is a comprehensive system of life which guides our lives towards an ethical direction by bestowing its divine and spiritual character in our lives; it provides the foundation and goals for the Islamic Ummah and not to forget, the limits which guide us in our movement towards that ultimate goal of life, helping us to walk on the right path, protecting us from negative consequences or getting lost in the way. Islam is a collection of beliefs which nourish our minds,

cleanse our souls, help in imparting justice equally among all, and decorates our lives with its customs and etiquettes.

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Scholars from all over the globe have defined Islam from various points of views; Marx, while condemning religions did not exclude Islam from being opium for masses but the scholars who really looked into the practical aspect of Islam realized the fact that Islam is a complete submission of will to the commandments of God.

This submission and surrender does not mean that people should be inactive, should not think of their development and their progress. As we see that Islam since its emergence

has always paid special attention to the mankind; and being a codified religion it has given all necessary instructions in its holy book known as Quran, which was revealed to the prophet for making people aware of evils and goodness, light and darkness, knowledge and ignorance.

In brief the real purpose of the revelation of Quran is to guide the humanity towards the right path, which leads to salvation. There is no doubt that about it that Quran has everything which may be of any use for the mankind, but it has also been proved that only theory cannot and never

be result oriented unless that theory is not realized into practice; in other words, whatever has been codified in Quran has to be presented in its practical form.

Our prophet presented the teachings of Quran in its practical shape. Whatever was dangerous for humanity, Quran declared that forbidden or Haraam and whatever is in the interest of the mankind, Quran referred to it as permissible or Halaal. In other words, Quran and actions of the prophet are the basic factors to be adopted and followed by every Muslim until the mankind breathes his last.

Coming to the point of our discussion, let‘s talk about Islamic awakening. Islamic awakening has its roots in

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stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim Ummah. The uprisings and revolutions that took place in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen etc were a shock to the analysts of the whole imperial world; as they had never even contemplated that one day Egypt or Libya etc could see such momentous uprisings which could bring down the imperialists strongholds in these countries and eventually get rid of tyrants guarding the interests of imperialistic powers.

Social revolutions are normally based on a very strong foundation of wisdom and experiences; be it their own or experiences of others which are in fact lessons to learn from. The best example of such experiences of others is the Islamic Revolution of Iran. Imam Khomeini has put it in the best set of words as ―victory of blood over sword‖.

What we witnessed in Iran more than 30 years ago is the precursor to what we witnessed in Egypt and Libya and other Arab countries. Watching Egypt‘s Islamic revolution was more like a Déjà-Vu for Islamic Awakening.

Many of us are mentioning this point again and again in altogether different sentences, but the fact remains the same that the spark of this fire was ignited by Imam Khomeini and his Islamic revolution of Iran. Many others are saying that the latest revolutions in Arab countries are in no way connected to Islamic revolution of Iran, but I am sure that in the near future this will become a proven fact that Islamic revolution of Iran was the spark which burnt down the castle of Imperialism.

This small spark of Iranian Islamic revolution got stronger and stronger with each heavy blow of the unfavorable winds, wanting to extinguish this fire of Islamic Awakening right from the beginning until the latest events of Islamic revolutions in Arab countries; but they were unsuccessful then and they were unsuccessful

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for yet another time in the recent times. Moreover, on the contrary to extinguishing this spark, these strong unfavorable winds made this phenomenon stronger and stronger and eventually helped it to spread to various other regions of the world.

The more they tried to harm, the more their actions helped. We have a saying in India which goes like this ―how can that candle be extinguished which is lighted by God‖ it

perfectly corroborates with the present situation of Islamic awakening. No matter how hard the imperialistic powers try to put this candle out, they can‘t succeed, as this is a candle which is lighted and protected by the almighty God.

As Iranians say it in one of their Proverbs:

The oppression of the oppressor harms him only.

Or Haafez the great Persian poet has pointed out:

Be assured that the oppressor will ultimately be defeated.

It is without a doubt that Imam Khomeini as a source of translating Islamic theories into practice and also as an architect of Islamic Republic has provided us with a sea of thoughts regarding Institution building and defining the political orientations and approaches of the Islamic Ummah.

The sea of ideas which originated from the clear spring of Muhammad‘s (PBUH) Islam. It was Imam Khomeini‘s dream to export the Islamic revolution and let others also quench their thirst from that spring. And there is no doubt in the fact that his dream was finally achieved in the form

of recent Islamic awakenings; which proves the sayings of Imam Khomeini fully true. In one of his messages, he categorically said:

“Present true Islam to the world people in order to quench their thirst of Islam”

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The determination of young generation towards righteousness has shown itself to be solid and unflinching in the recent events of Islamic awakening. One must also pay due importance to their determination to recapture the true Islamic spirit and to reconstruct their life according to it in the 21st century where everybody in the western world is running after hoarding or spending large amount of wealth, having a luxurious life away from the bounds of religion.

It is not at all surprising for me that today‘s young generation wants to reconstruct their lives according to the fundamentals of Islam. It was expected for them to do such things, especially after what Imam Khomeini said around 30 years back! What did he say? That ―I want to export this revolution this Islamic awakening to all the Muslim ummah all over the globe and it is the youth who will play the key role‖.

The older people are easily attracted towards religion according to their age factor and their experience in life. It is the young generation which is difficult to convince and it is difficult to make them understand the importance of various religious concepts; the young and hot blood, which is running in their bodies has its own aims and most of the times it is far away from spirituality and religion.

What we saw in recent developments of Islamic awakening is that this young generation has come out of its hibernation and has started looking into the fundamentals of Islam on a serious note and as to how it can help in the progress of their countries and the Muslim ummah on the whole. They are the ones who want to follow the footsteps of great leaders like Imam Khomeini who when asked by some western journalist that he has taken Iran 50 years back with his revolution, told him that ―it is not just 50 years which I aimed at! I want to take this society back to 1400 years ago.‖

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It was the same time when certain groups in the Muslim ummah were so west stricken that they looked at the western way of life as the only solution for being content and happy in life. They looked at Islam as something which has lost its charm and is too old to be in accordance with the 20th century. The imperialist powers had done everything in their power to outcast Islam from the world scenario and it seemed that they were succeeding, but God helped and guided Imam Khomeini towards reviving this religion and it is through Imam Khomeini that God showed the non-believers how compatible this religion is with the 20th oreven 21st century, or even many more centuries to come.

When we look at the Islamic revolution and Islamic Republic of Iran‘s successful life after the revolution, even after so much pressure from the imperialistic powers, we tend to look into the reason for this success, which is none other than the young generation. The young generation

which is brought up with the teachings of righteousness and piety is the real strong foundation which any country can build its hopes upon. Their value is immeasurable in any kind of material form.

Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei have shown us in their speeches and guidelines that youth is the most important section of the society. When you look at how they address the people listening to them you will find out that it is not the older men they are addressing to, it is the youth; the young generation.

Looking from another perspective, Imam Khomeini‘s last WILL is addressed to the young generation not the elders. He wanted to export this revolution to the whole world and when reporters asked him about what will happen to his goal after he is gone from this world? He answered that every single youth of Islamic Republic of Iran has and will become a Khomeini and after him it is

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them who will export the Islamic revolution to the whole world.

And now we can see for a fact that his dream has come true, yes it did take time, and of course it should take time to make people understand, awaken them from their sleep of modernity, I see this period of 30 years as the laying of strong foundations for the next centuries to come and

the foundation stone of this building was laid by Imam Khomeini, who was without any doubt one of the greatest leaders of Islamic history.

And now when the foundations have been laid strongly with the cement of complete submission to the almighty, no power in this world can do any harm to the Islamic awakening of world society.

The Prophet (PBUH) said: [The Flag of Islamic] knowledge will be carried from one generation to the other by the moderates who defend it against the distortion of bigots, the claims of falsifiers and the misinterpretation of the ignorant.”

Hence it is the duty of the young generation to carry this flag of Islamic Awakening on its shoulders with the determination of handing it over to the next generation; which by the grace of God, the present young generation has rightfully taken this responsibility for.

To sum up:

Those who are actively engaged in claiming the merit of engineering and supporting the revolutionary awakenings in Yemen, Bahrain, Egypt and Libya are in fact engaged in annihilating the Islamic Awakening. How the United States and its allies, who propagated that Islam and democracy, are incompatible, Muslims are terrorists and extremists and Islam causes war and bloodshed.

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The presence of women with their Islamic Hijab in the historic demonstrations staged in these nations proves that the process of Islamic Awakening has already started. The presence of Young generation in the mosques proves the fact that Muslim youth has started emulating the revolutionary elements of Iran, who in fact are the pioneers of the Islamic Awakening. The days of Anti-Islamic propaganda has now come to an end.

The progress and development achieved during the last 32 years after the victory of Islamic Revolution in Iran, in spite of all illogical and unjustified sanctions has proved the fact that Islam is very much capable of coping with the requirements of 20th and 21st century and even, it can

lead the world towards happiness and real prosperity; but one should try to catch hold of the rope of true Islam-e- Muhammadi and remain away from the Islam which imperial powers are propagating.

Even the right thinking and logical American and European youths have started studying the tenets and principles of Islam. Thousands of young men in the western world have already embraced Islam, which is nothing but prayer of Almighty and service to mankind; as the holy book Quran belongs to the masses, Prophet of Islam was merciful for the masses and its pious Ka‘aba is a place especially marked for the masses.

I would like to end with this note that: Two factors are essential for the success of any ovement. First is the readiness of the masses to offer valuable sacrifices and the second factor has been described as the presence of a decisive leadership. The current wave of Islamic awakening

in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and other Arab nations proves the readiness of the masses, who are marching towards the grand victory under the noble guidance of Ayatollah Syed Ali-e- khamenei.